Purchase an Economy seat now and upgrade to BusinessElite for 1 mile.
Jun 30, 2009, 1:43 pm
#31
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,388
There goes the Z inventory....
Check other fares first - when I went to London in May it was cheaper to book an I fare than it was to go M or B w/a PMU.
Check other fares first - when I went to London in May it was cheaper to book an I fare than it was to go M or B w/a PMU.
Jun 30, 2009, 2:07 pm
#32
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South Florida
Programs: Delta Diamond, Marriott Plat, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 56
This promotion is basically nothing other than a summer promotional Business Elite fare, basically an M-UP subject to Z inventory.
I guess Delta thought the marketing angle would be better promoting it as a 1 mile upgrade than it would be simply offering an I fare at M fare levels.
Given that the Delta beancounters are world class, I have a hard time figuring out how they missed the fact that if Delta simply published the I fare at the M fare rate, people could just buy the tickets online and be done with it. As it is, people will have to tie up res agents looking for Z inventory and booking the upgrades, which is a relatively expensive use of employee time.
I guess Delta thought the marketing angle would be better promoting it as a 1 mile upgrade than it would be simply offering an I fare at M fare levels.
Given that the Delta beancounters are world class, I have a hard time figuring out how they missed the fact that if Delta simply published the I fare at the M fare rate, people could just buy the tickets online and be done with it. As it is, people will have to tie up res agents looking for Z inventory and booking the upgrades, which is a relatively expensive use of employee time.
Jun 30, 2009, 2:37 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,559
While these upgrades might not be much cheaper than some of the I fares to Europe, this is a great deal TPAC. Just booked a laughably cheap PVG trip.
Front of the bus revenues must be completely drying up...
Front of the bus revenues must be completely drying up...
Jun 30, 2009, 2:44 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: SF
Programs: /usr/bin
Posts: 1,334
What almost perfect timing! I've already flown one leg of my RT ATL-ICN on a Z upgraded M. The 50,000 miles had already been deducted. I called up and asked if it was possible to trade 25K miles for a 1 mile upgrade for the remaining flight (ICN-ATL) and they said yes. No need to reissue the ticket, they just "document my account" and the miles should post in 24 hours.
I was quite surprised that they will refund my miles that had already been deducted. Now let's see if the miles actually get refunded.
I was quite surprised that they will refund my miles that had already been deducted. Now let's see if the miles actually get refunded.
Jun 30, 2009, 3:29 pm
#35
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP 3MM
Posts: 496
A week ago I booked JFK-LHR in I class for early July. I was wondering if my forehead should be whacked for having spent the extra $, but found that the M class fare was $300 more than what I got the I class ticket for. In fact this is why I switched most of my flying from Delta to American a few years ago: I was never buying Y, B, or M fares so the PMU certificates were not much good for me when I was PM on Delta, while as an EXP on American I can use SWUs for international upgrades on inexpensive fares.
Jun 30, 2009, 3:40 pm
#36
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, DL MM
Posts: 4,246
A week ago I booked JFK-LHR in I class for early July. I was wondering if my forehead should be whacked for having spent the extra $, but found that the M class fare was $300 more than what I got the I class ticket for. In fact this is why I switched most of my flying from Delta to American a few years ago: I was never buying Y, B, or M fares so the PMU certificates were not much good for me when I was PM on Delta, while as an EXP on American I can use SWUs for international upgrades on inexpensive fares.
I have found that I actually finish the year struggling to use my PMUs and end up using them on domestic routes where I probably would have gotten the upgrade anyway.
Jun 30, 2009, 4:17 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 15,347
I was about to burn all my PMU's in one fell swoop for a family trip, now it'll cost me 6 miles instead, Just hope the inventory is there when I need it...
Jun 30, 2009, 5:18 pm
#38
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: NYC, CDG, NCE
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 2,633
Does anyone else feel like this is a bit misleading?
Of course we all get the whole Z availability thing, but is it clear to the average customer who is much less sophisticated?
They are basically being told to go buy much more expensive tickets and they'll be upgraded.
I know they say "availability is limited" pretty clearly, but I can imagine confusion and some people going online, searching for an M fare, finding one and saying.. Look I got it!
Sure, sure, caveat emptor and all, but still...
Of course we all get the whole Z availability thing, but is it clear to the average customer who is much less sophisticated?
They are basically being told to go buy much more expensive tickets and they'll be upgraded.
I know they say "availability is limited" pretty clearly, but I can imagine confusion and some people going online, searching for an M fare, finding one and saying.. Look I got it!
Sure, sure, caveat emptor and all, but still...
Jun 30, 2009, 5:42 pm
#39
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA / WAS
Programs: DL 2+ million/PM, YX, Marriott Plt, *wood gold, HHonors, CO Plt, UA, AA EXP, WN, AGR
Posts: 9,388
I agree with your general comment and believe for the typical FlyerTalk poster and other aviation experts, an I fare offering at M fare levels would be a clear sale. However, I could be wrong, but from a pure marketing perspective the 1-mile offer connects much more to the average DL frequent flyer who thinks a discussion of I, M, B, Y fares is like engaging in a foreign language conversation.
Not only are front-of-bus revenues down, but so are higher coach fares. On my trip back from NRT at the beginning of the month, the J cabin on the 744 was 1/3 full.
It does mean, though, that the elites (and in particular the PMs) are hosed in terms of trying to get the upgrade on a later booking. By taking all the Z inventory, it forces last-minute flyers to buy Z if they want to sit up front. From that standpoint, I'm betting that DL thinks it'll get more revenue because the upgrades will already be taken by folks that would not otherwise upgrade (and would otherwise not buy YBM).... meaning that folks that would have bought YBM to sit up front will be forced to pay more if they want to sit there.
Fortunately, some of us are elite on other airlines where the upgrade posture is better.
Jun 30, 2009, 6:48 pm
#40
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Georgia
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 1,037
This promo works for wife & me. I just called and switched our Z fare tix to France from PMU to 1-mile. Unlike those who use PMUs for wallpaper, we had a combined 15 PMU-upgradeable segments this year (plus 4 more scheduled for 1/4/10). Now I can use the mile promo for 4 of those segments, and I won't run out of PMUs. I had no problems finding Z fares to Japan, France, & Italy, and G fares to Hawaii, but I was booking in advance.
Jun 30, 2009, 7:26 pm
#41
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: SAN
Programs: AS 100K, DL MM, AA PLT
Posts: 2,934
While there are some nice I fares out there now, for those of us who need more than a simple round trip---i.e., stopovers, circle trips, etc.---or require flexibility, the difference between a flexible B fare and a reasonable J fare is still quite large, so this is indeed a big deal.
Yes, it does devalue PMUs for few weeks, but there's a shocking amount of Z inventory out there right now (more than I've seen since the introduction of PMUs, frankly), so I doubt it will impinge upon their use.
Yes, it does devalue PMUs for few weeks, but there's a shocking amount of Z inventory out there right now (more than I've seen since the introduction of PMUs, frankly), so I doubt it will impinge upon their use.
Last edited by Erasmus; Jun 30, 2009 at 9:04 pm Reason: Typo.
Jun 30, 2009, 8:52 pm
#42
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: VPS
Programs: DL DM/2MM, Etihad Gold, HHonors Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 4,787
The agent I spoke to said that since they will deduct the miles from the account at the airport, all she needed to do was to put in "documentation" that I was using the one-mile upgrade, so that they'll know to take out only 1 mile at the airport. That makes me a little nervous, but I'll let you know how it turns out.
Interesting that most here are changing plans for trips already booked and upgrades confirmed. Not much talk of anyone rushing to buy a ticket not already planned or buying up to M+ because of the promo. I wonder if the promo will actually have the desired effect of enticing folks to buy up to M+ in the hopes of upgrading for 1 mile.
By the way, I thought the conventional wisdom here is that PMUs are impossible to use. Seems like many here are having no problem whatsoever finding Z availability...myself included.
Jun 30, 2009, 8:58 pm
#43
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Atlanta
Programs: DL Diamond in 2010, Kimpton Inner Circle
Posts: 317
And, the flight is on the 77L and I got the seats I wanted.... What a great Promo for me!!!!
Just in the nick of time too!!!
TJ
Jun 30, 2009, 9:23 pm
#44
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: you name it, i have it
Posts: 102
If I make the reservations, can I upgrade a colleague for 1 mile as well?
Jul 1, 2009, 7:26 am
#45
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SDF
Programs: DL:360/DM/6 MMer; Bonvoy: Lifetime Titanium 10+M pts, 3100+ nights;
Posts: 1,441